$6.26m investment raised during Beban

Thirty start-ups have raised a total of $6.26 million during the first two seasons of Beban, the region’s first entrepreneurship-themed reality TV show.

The show producer, Hope Ventures, announced that a total of 62 entrepreneurs from Bahrain and the UAE have made a pitch for equity investment in front of a panel of regional investors over the first two seasons. The 28 venture capitalists featured on the panel over the two seasons represented Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain.

The pitchers also benefited from perks worth $320,000, courtesy of 21 value-add partners across both seasons, where entrepreneurs gained access to unique business development opportunities in areas where they need the most support, such as marketing and PR, bookkeeping and accounting, and sales, among others.

In addition to access to business perks, Beban participants benefited from the intensive training bootcamp, which was delivered by professionals and industry experts in preparation for their pitching on the show.

Created in alignment with Hope Ventures’ mission of facilitating investment opportunities for promising entrepreneurs, Beban has continued to grow and reach new arenas through both of its seasons, with season 2 being the first television show in the Mena region to be 100pc powered by renewable energy through a partnership with nogaholding and the Electricity and Water Authority (EWA).

Over the last year, the show has developed into a regional investment platform that promotes cross-border deal flow, funding and exposure to strategically accelerate the growth of high-potential, scalable businesses by matchmaking them with regional investors who can provide access to their expertise, networks and on-the-ground knowledge to support their expansion beyond local borders.

Hope Ventures is the investment arm of Hope Fund, an initiative by His Majesty King Hamad’s representative for humanitarian work and youth affairs and Royal Humanitarian Foundation chairman Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa to support youth projects.

According to Hope Fund chairman Ayman Almoayyed, as a television show, Beban has left a powerful impact, educating and inspiring the pursuit of entrepreneurship while highlighting that there are no limitations to creativity and innovation once paired with hard work and dedication.

“Today, after Beban, who is to tell a 16-year-old girl that she cannot be an entrepreneur, pitch her business on a television show broadcast on the region’s biggest channels, and successfully raise fund from four strategic investors? Who is to tell a business that persisted in the LogiTech sector that it cannot have a unicorn of the same sector guide it towards international growth? Doors of opportunity are open to all, and our goal of synthesising hope amongst the community remains to be a key objective,” he added.

Another milestone of Beban season 2 was the introduction of ‘Beban Crowdfunding,’ an equity-based crowdfunding platform that allows viewers to invest in real time in opportunities pitching on the show, making Beban the first interactive reality TV show in the world with an interactive crowdfunding element to it.

Hope Ventures general manager Fajer Al Pachachi feels the show’s distinctiveness comes from its multiple offerings that empower entrepreneurs to scale their businesses, be it the opportunity to fundraise, regional exposure, business perks, or alternative funding through Beban Crowdfunding.

The show was aired on Bahrain TV, AlRai TV, Dubai TV, and the region’s first and biggest video-on-demand platform, Shahid. Entrepreneurs looking for an opportunity to participate in the show have to register through the website: hopefund.bh/beban, with applications set to close on April 30.

 

Source: https://www.gdnonline.com/Details/1207085/$626m-investment-raised-during-Beban

 

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